Great new live venue. Awesome staff who know their drinks. Has an outdoor area with views of the…read morecity. I had a fun night of live music and interesting folks, recommend to all.

Cool "underground" venue. Came here to see a great DnB DJ, which I enjoyed very much. The drink…read moreprices are reasonable, typical club prices. There is a lot of room. There is NO COAT CHECK, which was annoying, but at least no one stole my coat. Nice staff.

Whenever we're out in Ponsonby, we always end up going to PSC. I'm not even sure why, it's not…read moreparticularly great. In fact, it's always packed and a nightmare to get to the bathrooms, which are at the very back of the bar. It's saving grace is the music. It's largely hip hop and RnB but think old school classics as opposed to Chris Brown. For me, PSC is a late-night destination and I almost always order G&Ts so it's hard to comment on the drinks but the bartenders are speedy and friendly enough! It wouldn't say it's a must visit but if you're keen for a boogie and you're on P.Road, it's worth a look.

"PSC" as the locals call it is the closest thing to a "Grown n' Sexy" crowd as i have found in…read moreAuckland. Definitely not an 18+ crowd. The music was tho! If you love 90's RnB and Hip-Hop in a danceable, 2-step vibe, more so than fist-pump, table jumping manner. Auckland has so many beautiful and thick women and they were all here. But it's still more of a standing/talking/vibing bar-that-plays-music than a club-club. I would go back, especially to start off the night, but maybe not finish it...unless I was on a Bumble Date that I thought might be wifey. All in all, good fun. Standard drink prices around NZD $10/ea

I have heaps of memories of Studio, most of the fuzzy, but some clear enough to base my review on…read more I personally think Studio is a great music venue for medium to large size gigs in Auckland, and they always attract some of the best, Netsky, Dub FX, numerous house and trance gigs that filled a gap left when the St James was closed. The big main room has a great sound to it in my opinion, and for those times when you're lucky enough to snaffle a VIP ticket, the upstairs room's a wicked place to watch over all the revelry like a Greek god... On K road... So not quite the same. Still, great venue!

The Studio is situated on Auckland's K Road, which makes it very central and easy to get to…read more It is small in size but this is a silver lining because it makes for great, intimate gigs. I saw Ellie Goulding there in October last year, and it was such a nice change from the now common place arena shows. And yes, Ellie was awesome, and I had no complaints with the sound quality. So if your fav band announces a show at The Studio, I suggest you get there with bells on (or Dr Martins / your concert going shoe of choice).

This is my partner's fail-safe go-to-after-work pub. He loves it because it is exactly what K' Road…read moreis all about: unique, friendly and just the right amount of grimy. He says it's because it reminds him of the pubs in our hometown in the UK and I don't think he's wrong. I've only met up with him a few times in here but I too think it's a great little place. The staff are always really friendly, there's a great selection of beer (including their home brewed lager) at a reasonable price and there's always been ample seating during after work hours. They've also got a really varied selection of live music and events on every week so there's enough to keep you entertained (the pub quiz in particular is usually a winner). I've not eaten in here but the food on the menu always looks really intriguing. They've got a really wide selection of vegetarian and vegan food and things that are just a little out of the ordinary.

Stopped here for a quick hello with a friend who knows Simon. Very welcoming, friendly person he…read moreis. You can tell right away he cares for his customers and his bar. It was early in the day so definitively not ready for a full on session but a cold cider was perfect. The bar is massive with prime corner real estate! Plenty of seating at the bar, tables just behind along with benches running along the windows. If it were my local, I would be there on Sundays just to people watch and pass a few pints. There is also a chef in the kitchen, with a menu broadcast on chalkboard above the bar. Live music and other fun activities await weekly. Another plus to this bar is that there is a genuine Italian espresso machine. The brand escapes me, but it is one of only two in all of New Zealand! He said it makes a mean espresso and for someone who loves coffee this is an invitation to return.

I always get really excited when a band I love announces they are playing at The Powerstation. It's…read morethe perfect mid-sized venue. Not too big that it feels empty, or the sound is too tinny, and not so small that you're spending the whole time frustrated at people's hair in your face. I've seen a number of great bands here ranging from pretty mellow music to raging nights. There is a seated circle around the top, which numerous musicians see as a challenge. By this I mean they scale the stage and clamber their way around the whole of the top of the venue while belting out a tune. Awesome. There is a pretty large bar at the back of the venue so you can float in and out of the crowd for drinks before, during and after the show. There is also a little area to the side which they use for merchandise sales. Great venue, good times

I've been to a few smaller gigs at this venue and I must say I quite like it. It has an upstairs…read morebalcony part where there are seats to chill out and watch the stage from above, or you can hang out down the bottom closer to the action (and the bar). That's the beauty of a small place like this; the bar is never too far away. I saw Shihad play here and the sound inside the Powerstation was deafening. I could barely hear for the rest of the night. The venue is located on the outskirts of the city centre, but it's all good because Galbraith's ale house is directly opposite. Not a bad idea to pop in there for a few quality beers before the show (because you'll be drinking crappy beers for the rest of the night).

I want to give The Wine Cellar a few props from the perspective of a door bitch at gigs. We are the…read morebitches who take your money - we put silly insignias on your wrist and hand you cheap EPs. Getting a gig together at The Wine Cellar is easy - the bar staff are really friendly people who don't seem to mind when the door bitch once again forgets a pen. Rohan who runs the technical side of the shows clearly loves making people sound good and takes his work seriously enough to do an excellent job of it. It's also massively cheap to rent the place - $100 for a PA and Rohan.

Awesome cosy venue for a gig. I saw Tiny Ruins here and although I wasn't in quick enough to get…read moremyself a seat on one of the couches, I love that they have them and that there's still plenty of standing room as well. Very intimate music venue, cool character and just a neat space. One downside is that if you haven't been before and don't know where you're going, might be a little hard to find. Down some stairs and through a non-descript side door you'll find it. The bar area is separate to the couch-filled room, which is nice in some ways but then of course if you're all comfy in your arm chair and don't want to lose your seat you'd better hope your friend doesn't mind getting your drink for you!

Beer selection was phenomenal and international. Could not believe how fortunate we were to stumble…read moreupon this hidden gem on open mic night. Legendary band. Gritty yet real ambience. Got to meet the band. The spirit of camaraderie amongst the band members was unmatched especially since they all met that night. The service was unparalleled. Couldn't think of a better place to be in Auckland at 1am in a Thursday. Goth friendly.

I have been here for both local band gigs and to have a few drinks with friends. Ding Dong has…read morenever failed to disappoint. Great music, great atmosphere and the staff and patrons are wicked people who are just looking to have a good night. No judgemental looks about outfits and everyone is welcome. I've seen businessmen, stag-dos, goths, newly-minted adults and adults with experience having a great time at the same time. I could not recommend this place more!

I've said it about The Wine Cellar and I'll say it about Whammy too - this place treats bands (and…read moretheir respective door bitches) incredibly well. Booking a gig at Whammy (or The Wine Cellar) is done through Rohan, a professional sound tech who will make your band sound pretty gosh darn good. He'll do it for $100. Get 6-10 paying people through the door and you've broken even already. Accommodating about 150 people more than Wine Cellar and starting later in the evening, Whammy is the place to go if your band wants to be late and loud. Doorman Will is a massive boss as well - about as courteous as a man who deals with drunk idiots can be.

I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to realise the pun in the name…read more Whammy bar is like a lot of music/performance venues: the quality of your experience here is directly related to what's on. Good band: good night. Crappy poser art-noise: bleeding eardrums and regret. It's a gamble, but a fun one to make. Whammy has all the requisite dive bar trappings - low ceilings, awkward stairs, an unassuming entrance. The crowd is your typical fashionable scene, but not too teenage to make you feel old - although again, this depends somewhat on the band playing. They don't just have bands playing, I've seen poetry recitals and comedy here. But the best times to be had are the rowdy live music nights, when the energy's deafening and everyone's bouncing off the ceiling.

Being from the states and working in Auckland it took several days to find a bar that has a…read morespeakeasy vibe and amazing drinks. The Pineapple Bar is the full package. These guys make the most amazing drinks you've ever had. The whiskey sour is the best I've ever had. Kieran and Dario manned the bar like a US Marine preparing for battle. Turning out drink and drink. If you want a great drink with top notch atmosphere, this is your place. I will make this my regular spot every time I'm in Auckland. I gave it two thumbs up and two feet up because I've drank a few too many:)

Honestly, seven or eight stars. I am an American visiting NZ. My buddy and I were in search of a…read morebar...you know, an actual bar. We went on a quest and our reward was Pineapple on Parnell. I'm wiping tears away as I type, sipping my cocktail. If you have a checklist that defines a proper bar, let this place check all of the boxes for you. The drinks are the absolute best you've ever had. Stop wasting time reading on Yelp and grab an Uber. Your evening is planned. Trust the bartenders (Kieran and Dario) to serve you the best cocktails of your lives. The atmosphere will speak for itself when you walk through the door. This is the exact place you're looking for.

Ink Bar is the pierced, tattooed and slightly dangerous sister of Coherent. These two bars often…read morehave joint events so you can flirt between them both (and I shouldn't have to explain the play on words with their names). Ignore the almost shabby entrance from K road and get down the stairs to this awesome little bar. You will find that you like it as rough and as dirty as her. (I'd like to mention that I have ended my metaphor with the previous paragraph because it may be misconstrued when I say it's a tight but comfortable fit down there.) One of the best clubs Auckland has to offer with heavy, pounding bass and staff as hyped as you are. Couches, courtyard, intimate dance floor directly in front of the DJ- a great place to catch some house, techno and sometimes international artists. I am a big fan of seeing Aural Trash play here, although sometimes a small lake can form in the smoking area if it has been raining.

Ink Bar is not, as the name might suggest, somewhere where writers meet up and discuss camus over…read moreespressos and whiskey on the rocks. Instead, it is one of the dirtiest places in Auckland - and I mean dirty in the good , Clint Eastwood on a bender kind of way. Ink plays host to a wide range of electronic music, forming a sort of spiritual home of Auckland's not-quite-commerical dance sound. This means you can catch international acts who haven't quite broken through here for as low as five dollars if you get lucky. They have a cool smoking area with bamboo and an open ceiling, and if Coherent is open you can walk through between the two bars. Well worth penciling in as a bender destination.